Conventionally, game apparatus for allowing a player to enjoy a game by controlling a character which is displayed on a game screen have been in wide use.
Also, there are game apparatus having a touch panel provided on a display screen for controlling player characters. For example, in a game disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-939, a player causes a player character appearing in a game image to take actions while touch-operating a touch panel at appropriate times. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-939 discloses a game in which a golf swing can be executed by touching and dragging a PUSH button which is displayed as a game image on a touch panel, a game in which a player character can be made to jump by being touched, and the like. In these games, as a player touches a game image, which is displayed on a game screen, via a touch panel, an instruction indicated by the game image is executed or a character represented by the game image becomes a target for operation.
In the game apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-939, however, in order for the player to perform a game operation, it is apparently necessary to touch an object (PUSH button, a character, etc.) via the touch panel. Accordingly, if the size of an object image that is to be touched is small, it may be difficult for the player to touch the image. Here, it is conceivable to increase the size of the object image that is to be touched in order to improve the ease of touch operation. For example, in any of the following cases, it may be difficult for the player to touch the object image if the size of the object image is limited and small: the size of the display screen or the touch panel is limited; a number of objects are present on the screen; and a wide game field is desired to be displayed.
The illustrative embodiments will be described briefly below. The reference numerals, step numbers, and the like provided in parentheses merely illustrate correspondence for assisting in the understanding of the illustrative embodiments, and by no means limit the scope of the embodiments.
An exemplary game apparatus (1) of an illustrative embodiment displays a game image (second game image) in which a plurality of game objects (P) appear in a game field. The game apparatus comprises: a display section (12); a touch panel (13) provided on a surface of the display section; display control means (S30); parameter storage means (2d); first condition determination means (S25, S92 to S94); second condition definition means (2c); selection means (S26, S97 to S99); display size change means (S26, S97 to S99); determination means (S82); and changing means (S21). The display control means is operable to display on the display section a game field image representing the game field, and game object images each representing a game object, the game object images being displayed at display positions in accordance with an arrangement of the game objects in the game field. The parameter storage means is operable to store a parameter pertaining to each of the game objects. The first condition determination means is operable to determine, during game progression, whether at least one of the game objects displayed on the display section satisfies a first condition for increasing a display size of a game object image of the at least one of the game objects. The second condition definition means is operable to define, as a second condition, a parameter pertaining to a game object whose display size is to be increased, in association with the first condition. If the first determination means determines during the game progression that the first condition is satisfied, the selection means is operable to select a game object having a parameter which satisfies the second condition associated with the first condition. The display size change means is operable to change a display size of a game object image of the game object selected by the selection means so as to be larger than in a case where the game object is unselected. The determination means is operable to determine whether a judgment region on the touch panel is touched, the judgment region having a predetermined size in accordance with a position at which a game object image is displayed and a display size of the game object image. The changing means is operable to change data related to a game object corresponding to the game object image targeted for determination by the determination means. Alternatively, the display size change means may store data for a plurality of game object images to be displayed in different sizes, or an enlargement process may be performed on data for a single game object image. Also, the parameter may be invariable (attribute of 2d), or may vary in accordance with game progression (position of 2d (game field coordinates)).
Specifically, the parameter includes attribute data corresponding to an attribute selected from among a plurality of attributes. In this case, the second definition means defines the second condition so as to correspond to a specific attribute.
The game apparatus may further comprise button image display control means (OB, DB, MB), and button touch detection means. The button image display control means is operable to display a button image on the display section. The button touch detection means is operable to detect whether the button image on the display section is selected by performing a touch-operation on the touch panel. In this case, the first condition is detected by the button touch detection means.
For example, the first condition is that a predetermined game situation (offense, defense) occurs during the game progression.
Also, when the game object selected by the selection means is located at a predetermined position in the game field (S25), the game object image display control means may make the game object image of the game object selected by the selection means larger on the display section (S26).
A storage medium according to one illustrative embodiment stores a game program to be executed by a computer in a game apparatus including: a display section for displaying a game image in which a plurality of game objects appear in a game field; a touch panel provided on a surface of the display section; and a storage section. The game program causes the computer to function as: display control means; parameter storage means; first condition determination means; second condition definition means; selection means; display size change means; determination means; and changing means. The display control means is operable to display on the display section a game field image representing the game field, and game object images each representing a game object, the game object images being displayed at display positions in accordance with an arrangement of the game objects in the game field. The parameter storage means is operable to store a parameter pertaining to each of the game objects. The first condition determination means is operable to determine, during game progression, whether at least one of the game objects displayed on the display section satisfies a first condition for increasing a display size of a game object image of the at least one of the game objects. The second condition definition means is operable to define, as a second condition, a parameter pertaining to a game object whose display size is to be increased, in association with the first condition. The selection means is operable to, if the first determination means determines during the game progression that the first condition is satisfied, select a game object having a parameter which satisfies the second condition associated with the first condition. The display size change means is operable to change a display size of a game object image of the game object selected by the selection means so as to be larger than in a case where the game object is unselected. The determination means is operable to determine whether an evaluation region on the touch panel is touched, the evaluation region having a predetermined size in accordance with a position at which a game object image is displayed and a display size of the game object image. The changing means is operable to change data related to a game object corresponding to the game object image targeted for determination by the determination means.
Specifically, the parameter includes attribute data corresponding to an attribute selected from among a plurality of attributes. In this case, the second definition means defines the second condition so as to correspond to a specific attribute.
The game program may cause the computer to function further as button image display control means, and button touch detection means. The button image display control means is operable to display a button image on the display section. The button touch detection means is operable to detect whether the button image on the display section is selected by performing a touch-operation on the touch panel. In this case, the first condition is detection by the button touch detection means.
For example, the first condition is that a predetermined game situation occurs during the game progression.
Also, when the game object selected by the selection means is located at a predetermined position in the game field (S25), the game object image display control means may make the game object image of the game object selected by the selection means larger on the display section.
According to the an exemplary game apparatus of one illustrative embodiment, in a game where the action and settings of game objects can be changed, it is possible to increase the display size of an image of a game object having a predetermined parameter in accordance with the situation by touch-operating the image of the game object. Accordingly, it is easy to perform touch-operation on a game object having a parameter from which it can be recognized that the game object is highly likely to be operated in the current situation. Also, not all game object images are increased, and therefore the possibilities that game object images might overlap with each other or a game field image might be widely hidden are low, making it possible to maintain the ease of viewing the game image. It is also possible to display a number of game object images as necessary. Further, through the visual effect of enlarging the display size of a game object image, the player can readily recognize a game object which is frequently operated in situations similar to the current situation.
In the case of defining the second condition so as to correspond to a specific attribute, game objects are classified by their attributes, and the size of an image of a game object associated with the specific attribute is increased in accordance with the current situation. Thus, the size of an image of a game object, which is frequently operated in situations similar to the current situation, is enlarged, thereby facilitating easy touch-operation.
In the case where the first condition is satisfied by touch-operating a button image, the player is able to increase the size of a game object image by touching the button image, and therefore can selectively adjust the size of the game object image as the player desires.
In the case where the first condition is satisfied in accordance with the game situation during the game progression, the size of a game object image is automatically changed in accordance with the game situation, and therefore the size of an image of a game object, which is frequently operated in situations similar to the current situation, is automatically enlarged, making it possible to quickly and readily perform touch-operation.
Also, in the case where an image of a game object is made larger in accordance with the position of the game object in the game field, it is possible to make the display size of an image of the most important game object in the game larger, thereby facilitating easy touch-operation on the image of the most important game object in the game.
Also, according to an exemplary game program of one illustrative embodiment, stored in a storage medium, the game program stored in the storage medium can be executed by a computer in the game apparatus, whereby effects similar to those attained by the aforementioned game apparatus can be obtained.
These and other aspects of the illustrative embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.